First written entry 944 (≈ 944)
Transfer to Cluny Abbey with outbuildings.
XIIIe siècle
Construction of medieval choir
Construction of medieval choir XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Style close to the 13th century still visible.
1789-1799
Destruction of the bell tower
Destruction of the bell tower 1789-1799 (≈ 1794)
Shot during the French Revolution.
1830 ou 1868
Reconstruction of the bell tower
Reconstruction of the bell tower 1830 ou 1868 (≈ 1868)
At its current location, uncertain date.
1911-1920
Reconstruction of the nave
Reconstruction of the nave 1911-1920 (≈ 1916)
Directed by architect Serres.
7 décembre 1992
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 7 décembre 1992 (≈ 1992)
Registered by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Saint Bartholomew's Church (cad. A 885): registration by order of 7 December 1992
Key figures
Abbé de Cluny (944) - Beneficiary of transfer
Receives church and outbuildings.
Architecte Serres - Manufacturer of the nave
Leads his reconstruction (1911-1920).
Origin and history
The church Saint-Barthélemy of Bonnac, located in the department of Cantal in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is mentioned for the first time in 944, date on which it is ceded with its outbuildings to Cluny Abbey. This monument, whose current choir dates back stylistically to the 13th century, originally retained a bell tower erected in front of the abside, destroyed during the French Revolution. This bell tower was rebuilt between 1830 and 1868, according to the sources, at its present location, marking a first phase of major transformation of the building.
The nave of the church, on the other hand, was completely rebuilt between 1911 and 1920 according to the plans of architect Serres. This reconstruction structured the nave into two distinct spans, separated by a doubleau, and aligned the openings with those of the medieval choir. A sacristy was added to the western end, accessible from the courtyard of the presbytery, while the three-sided polygonal abside and the three-storey bell tower (chapel, upper room and belfry) complete the current architecture. The vault of the choir, decorated with painted friezes and medallions, evokes an imaginary Gothic structure.
Ranked among the historical monuments by order of 7 December 1992, the church benefited in 1984 from a grant from the Savage of French Art for consolidation work. Today, the Bonnac Heritage Cantal association actively invests in its preservation, highlighting its central role in local heritage. The building, owned by the municipality, embodies both the Clunisian medieval heritage and the architectural adaptations of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The site is listed in the Mérimée and Clochers bases of France, and its location, although documented (address: 15500 Bonnac), remains of an accuracy deemed "a priori satisfactory" (level 6/10). The approximate GPS coordinates (5031 Le Rôde) and the Insee code of the municipality (15022) confirm its anchoring in the canton of Aurillac, in upper Auvergne.
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